Automatic switch for street-railways



"0.. 608,560. Patented Aug. 2, was.

a. n. RULLMAN. 1

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR STREET RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Jan. 21, 1898.)

r(:0 Model? I V I i ma 2 Sheets-Shani.-

I '4 I a I l MW L I H r Ml 1 I I,

I I I I I NA 5 r a Z, 4 I I 1 W N)? A 1!!! 1 d 11! 9! l :91 11"; wr'rNEssEs. |ll| I l INYE'N 'fiw. I] I I 7 W 7 UNITEDYSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE D. RoL nN, or DAYTON, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH-FOR STREET-RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lgatent No. 608.560, dated August 2, 1898.

Application filed January 21,1893. Elerial No. 667,441. (NoinodeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. RoLLMAN,

a citizen of the United States,residing at Day ton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches for Street-Railways; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable, others skilled in the art to which it appertains' to make and use the sameyreference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification,

This invention relates to improvements in switch -shifting mechanism for street-railways. The object of the invention is to provide an automatically-operating mechanism for throwing the switch-tongue as the car 'approaches having the structural features and advantages hereinafter described in the specification and set out in the claims.

In a detailed description of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, of which 7 Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved switch-throwing mechanism. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of a portion detached from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 00 0c of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a view showing in side elevation an end of a car carrying the mechanism for operating the switch and a longitudinal sectional view on the line'y y and y 'y of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a detached enlarged elevation of the depending arm. Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the springs.

Throughout the specification similar refer-' .part of the outer case A, as shown in Fig. 3,

or it may be cast separately and secured to said case. The coverA has a longitudinal slot 3, that lies above and in line with the slot l -so that said slots 1 and 3are practically IOI16 guide-slot, through which the trippingfpiece moves. 2 I 4 designates two reciproeably-movable rod which have ends 5 5 turned inwardly at right ;angles and which project alternately across 5 the slot.1. These ends are guided in the move- 1 ments by the slots a,b,c, and d, and each has an antifriction-roller 6 on its lower side,that travels in said slots. @nate two springs for each of said rods. {former exerts inward pressure and the latter outward pressure on each respective rod. iThese springs each consist of a flat plate, one end of which is secured to the floor of the (See Fig. 3.) 7 and 8 desig- The case and the other end of which is formed with a loop 9, that incloses the rod. These 4 of the drawings is referred to, in which 13 designates a depending trip-arm,which is pivotally attached in a suitable position below the car and is normally held up by a spring '17. As the car arrives at the proper point to trip the arm 13 pressure exerted by the foot on the plunger 16 will lower the end of said arm into the guide-slots 3 and 1, and as the said arm is carried forward in said slots it comes in contact with the end 5 of one of the rods 1 that is lying across said slots. Fig. 1 shows one of said ends in such position. The trip-arm thus moves the rod forward and turns the lever 11 on its fulcrum. The antifriction-roller 6 on the end 5 of said rod,with which the contact was made by the arm, travels forwardly in the inner slot 1) until it reaches the cross-slot d, at which time the pressure the outer slot at through the cross-slot 01. The

arm 13 has an extended end 14, to which a connecting-rod 15 has one end attached, and the other end of said rod is connected to one arm of a bell-crank lever 15* below the platform of the car. A plunger 10 projects through said platform and is connected to the other arm of said lever. Pressure applied to said plunger will actuate the trip'arm 13 to throw it into the slot 3, as hereinbefore described. This movement thus imparted to the lever 11 is conveyed to the switch-tongue 18 by the following means: 19 is a connectin g-rod between the lever 11 and abell-crank lever 20. This rod is inclosed in a pipe or case 21 between the ground-case A and an auxiliary case E. The latter case lies in a position adjacent to the switch-tongue. The lever 20 is fulcrumed on a base-plate 21 and has one arm connected to the switclrbar 2, which moves in a guide 23 and in a slot 24:, formed in the rim of said case E. The switchtongue 18 has a pivotal connection with the bar 22.

It will be readily seen that the movement imparted to the lever 11 through the trip arm 13 and the rods 4 t will be communicated to the bell-crank lever 20 and thence to the switch-tongue 18. It is possible to provide the mechanism with means for interlocking it in either position without departing from the main features of the invention, which consist of the equalizer or reciprocating rods 4- 4 and lever 11.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In mechanism for automatically shifting a street-railway switch, the combination with a case having a plurality of guide-slots therein, of reciprocating rods adapted to have their ends alternately projected across the central one of said slots, a lever connected to the other ends of said rods, mechanism between said lever and the switch-tongue, and means for actuating said reciprocating rods, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In mechanism for automatically shifting a street-railway switch, the combination with a casing having two rectangular guide-slots and an intervening straight slot, of two reciprocating rods having their disconnected ends projecting inwardly and governed in their movements by said rectangular slots, a lever to which the other ends of said rods are connected, a bell-crank lever having a connection with the switch-tongue, and a reach or connecting-rod between said bell-crank lever and the lever to which the reciprocating rods are connected, substantially as described.

In mechanism for automaticallyshifting street-railway switches, the combination with a trip-arm, of a case having two rectangular guide'slots, and an intervening straight slot in which said trip-arm is adapted to move, two reci n'ocating rods which are guided in their movements by said rectangular slots, the said rods having their disconnected ends turned inwardly to project across the path of the trip-arm at predetermined times, and mechanism between the switch-tongue and the lever to which the reciprocating rods are connected, whereby movement is imparted to said tongue, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereto allix my signature in pres ence of two witnesses.

GEORGE l). ROLLHAN. lVitnesses:

R. J. McCAR'rY, DAN ll. PFOU'JZ. 

